Jimmy Kimmel issued a sarcasm-laden statement on Sunday saying that while his war of words with Fox News host Sean Hannity was “fun,” he’s sorry for offending LGBT people — not for mocking Melania Trump’s accent.
“By lampooning Sean Hannity’s deference to the President, I most certainly did not intend to belittle or upset members of the gay community and to those who took offense, I apologize,” Kimmel’s statement said, referencing the criticism he took last week after repeatedly making lewd gay jokes directed at Hannity and President Trump.
“I will take Sean Hannity at his word that he was genuinely offended by what I believed and still believe to be a harmless and silly aside referencing out First Lady’s accent,” Kimmel said about his monologue last week in which he mocked Mrs. Trump accent.
“Mrs. Trump almost certainly has enough to worry about without being used as a prop to increase TV ratings,” the ABC host wrote, adding, “I am hopeful that Sean Hannity will learn from this too and continue his newly-found advocacy for women, immigrants and First Ladies and that he will triumph in his heroic battle against sexual harassment and perversion.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s statement comes as a petition calling for a boycott of his show has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.
“We may not get him kicked off the air,” reads the recently launched petition, “But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!”
Hannity, meanwhile, says he will address Kimmel’s statement on his Fox News show on Monday.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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